our staff
Bolivia
Robson & Cris da Silva
In August 2013 the work of OACI was started in Bolivia by a young Brazilian missionary couple named Robson & Cris da Silva. Robson has a BA in Theology and was involved in evangelism in partnership with various churches in Brazil before he left for Bolivia. The doors for sharing the gospel are wide open and our evangelists have done various outreaches in schools, plazas, and even in a university. Open-air markets are very common in many parts of the cities and create the perfect environment to conduct our ministry.
It is amazing to see how the Bolivians are thirsty for God’s Word because, in each place where the message of the cross is preached, huge crowds are formed and remain until the end of the presentation. The fields in this country are ready for harvest!
Brazil
Douglas & Tatiana Lopes
Douglas´ Christian life started with a WP program in his school when he was a high school student! After being very touched by God in our meeting, a friend of his invited him to participate in a church camp, when he gave his life to Jesus!
In 2018 he became a WP staff member. His ministry is in the region of Campinas, in the State of São Paulo, alongside Bruno & Camila Costa, and he will soon graduate in Theology. He has been working with WP Brazil as a volunteer since 2016. Douglas has an amazing ministry preaching the Good News in many different places (especially at the public schools) and promoting a vision for missions in churches. He is also involved in other parts of the WP ministry, like training and mission trips. He is very committed to his call and has a great heart to serve.
Bruno and Camila Costa
Bruno, Camila, and their daughter Mariana are based in Campinas, in the State of São Paulo. Camila joined OAC in 2001 and Bruno in 2002. In 2005 they moved to Campinas to start an OAC Branch, which became the national base for the ministry. Both are Bible College graduates in Theology. Bruno is the Director of OAC Brazil and the Chairman of the OAC Latin America Zone. They have incredible opportunities for outreach, especially in public schools. They promote mission trips to help OAC staff and other missionaries in evangelism, provide training, and also work on other projects for the development of OAC in Brazil.
Tiago and Camila Leonart
Tiago, Camila, and their son Isaac are based in Petrolina, in the State of Pernambuco, Northeast of Brazil. Tiago started with OAC in 2013 and in 2016 moved with his family to this city to start an OAC branch. Incredible doors have opened to OAC in this neediest area of Brazil. They have opportunities to work with different ethnical groups, which are: sertanejos (people who live in rural areas in isolated villages in a very dry region); quilombolas (descendants of the slaves who live in isolated villages too); Indian tribes, and urban areas. This family has a heart for these people, especially in isolated groups. Tiago is a Bible College graduate in Theology.
Ecuador
David and Monica Proaño
Monica was our first OAC Ecuador staff member in 2000. David, her husband, joined OAC staff in 2001. Both are Ecuadorians and serve as Co-National Directors. They live on the equator in Quito at 10,000 feet. Monica has a BA from HCJB in communications, which includes Bible courses. David has a Doctorate in Philosophy.
OAC has been officially recognized as an evangelical mission by the government and has permission to evangelize wherever people can be reached with the gospel. David and Monica are on the OAC Ecuador Board of Trustees.
Outreaches are being held in plazas, neighborhoods, public schools, military bases, and with Indian tribes. Multiplied thousands of people have been reached, with many responding to Christ. The first lesson of a Bible study is immediately done with those coming for salvation. Often it's the first time they have read the Bible.
Churches participating in the open-air film meetings provide follow-up. Seminars on open-air evangelism are held for pastors and leaders from evangelical churches. Teams from American churches have greatly helped in the outreaches, with team members receiving a new vision for missions.
Ecuador is experiencing a spiritual awakening, and OAC is assisting the church to bring in the harvest from the jungles to the mountains.
Jamaica
Eddie and Shirley Smith
Eddie has served as a full-time evangelist with OAC Jamaica for many years. He is conducting assemblies in both elementary and high schools. His love for the students, his ability to sing with them, and his clear gospel messages, are having an impact on many young lives. His wife, Shirley, works to help support them.
Keith and Bev Phillips
In 1985, Keith Phillips became our first OAC National Director. He is a graduate of Prairie Bible Institute in Canada. Along with his wife, Bev, they faithfully continue serving the Lord in this harvest field. Keith's main ministry is preaching the gospel to multiplied thousands in school assemblies. Students enthusiastically sing Christian choruses to his guitar and listen intently to his illustrated messages. He is now often preaching to children whose parents heard the gospel in these assemblies years ago.
For over a quarter of a century, OAC Jamaica has been proclaiming the gospel in the open air and public schools with well over one million attending these evangelistic outreaches. Local church members counsel people for salvation in the open-air meetings. School principals encourage students to listen and respond to Christ in the assembly programs. Sometimes over 1000 attend these school devotions, with many openly praying to trust Christ as Savior. Some teachers tell of how they came to Christ at one of these assemblies years ago when they were once students.
At the main hospital, expectant mothers attend weekly evangelistic services, with many responding to Christ. Less than 15% of all children are born to married couples.
Mission teams from American churches have greatly enjoyed working with OAC Jamaica in frontline evangelism. Keith is a member of the OAC Jamaica Board of Trustees and is also overseen by the OAC - Overseas Ministries. He is assisted by Eddie Smith.
God is at work in Jamaica, where the real beauty of the island in the sun is found in the lives of those who have been transformed by the Son of God.
Kenya
Jacinta Mueni
Jacinta is our Bookkeeper, and also serves as an evangelist. She is a graduate of Bible School, works in the OAC office, and also shares the gospel in school assemblies, women's prisons, and orphanages. She is a widow.
Moses and Veronica Ekope
Moses, a former pastor, serves as the Director of Evangelism. He is a graduate of Bible School and is an evangelist. He is faithfully leading the OAC ministry forward in open film meetings and school assemblies. Thousands are hearing the Good News of salvation to unreached people in Northwest Kenya.
Paraguay
Felipe and Fatima Diaz
Felipe is a Paraguayan, a Bible College graduate, and has served with OAC since 1992. Felipe's responsibilities include open-air outreaches in partnership with evangelical churches and school assemblies. In public schools, he presents Christ as the answer to the problems of drugs and immorality that plague the students.
Fatima is being used by God to line up many schools in Asuncion, which is resulting in multiplied thousands hearing and responding to the gospel. She also participates with Felipe in the programs.
Hernan & Claudia Palma
Hernan Palma is married with 2 children. He came to know the Lord through an open-air campaign several years ago. Shortly after, he began to accompany the OAC evangelists on their campaigns. Through this experience, a desire was laid upon his heart to join the team. He attended a Bible school for a year and became a volunteer with OAC for several years. He then joined full-time staff as an evangelist with OAC Paraguay and has a fruitful and expanding ministry in the public schools and open air. He speaks the Guarani language and is involved in outreaches to the Indian tribes.
Hernan serves as the National Director of OAC Paraguay and is a member of the Board.
Peru
Jorge & Suani Ortiz
Jorge and Suani Ortiz are our missionaries from Ecuador to Peru. Jorge, 26 (2016), graduated from the University of the Hemispheres of Quito in Political Science and is now a part-time student at the Baptist Theological College in Peru. Suani, 22 (2016), graduated from university in Gastronomy (UDLH). They are Ecuadorians by birth, married in November 2016, and now serve with Open Air Campaigners in Peru.
The following verse of Scripture burned in their hearts the evening before their call to be missionaries: "But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you" (Matthew 6:33). That night, David and Monica Proaño with Open Air Campaigners Ecuador, shared with them about the possibility of serving the Lord in full-time ministry.
It all started when they saw the ministry of David and Monica several years before, while they were serving in their local church. They began going out with them into the streets, plazas, parks, schools, universities, nursing homes, and orphanages. It was during this time that the Lord called them to this ministry, and they were accepted onto OAC Ecuador staff. They began training in Ecuador, and then the door opened for them to go to Peru.
In November 2016, they moved to Lima and began a ministry of evangelism on staff with OAC Peru (CAMPAÑAS AL AIRE LIBRE PERÚ), which is now legally registered with the Peru government. Working together as a couple, God is greatly using them to reach the unreached in the main plaza of Lima, in parks, a Reformatory Place for men emerging from their addiction to drugs, in a Hospital for people with terminal illnesses, etc. They also developed a drama team that accompanied them on outreaches. In every meeting, people are challenged to trust Christ and are invited to local churches. They have even done the evangelism for a medical team in the jungle
A seminary in Lima invited OAC to train some of their pastors from the interior in open-air evangelism. Along with David Wilson and David Proaño, they helped train about 70 pastors and church leaders. This led to invitations for them to go to the interior and help these pastors train teams, and take them out for open-air evangelism. They have also trained several churches in Lima and sometimes work with church teams that Samuel has trained.
Jorge and Suani have left their country, family, friends, and careers to serve the Lord in the ripe harvest fields of Peru. On this journey of faith, they are trusting God to provide for their personal and ministry needs through His people. They need your prayers and financial support as they proclaim the Good News of Salvation on the front line of evangelism in Peru.
Ukraine
Anatoly & Yulia Kushnirchuk
Anatoly joined OAC in 2001 and is our National Director for Ukraine. He is married to Julia, who is from Crimea. Both are Ukrainians and graduates from Kiev Christian University (a Baptist Bible College).
Anatoly's grandfather was killed by the Nazis for hiding Jews during WWII, and his father was baptized in a forest by the underground church. Because his relatives suffered persecution, the whole family was offered American citizenship. All went to the US except Anatoly, who chose to stay and reach his countrymen for Christ.
Working closely with the Baptist Union, OAC is training church teams to evangelize in their areas. People hear the Good News of salvation through the public proclamation of the gospel in plazas, in open-air film meetings shown in villages, in Cultural Centers previously used for Communist propaganda, and in orphanages. Public schools are allowing students to watch our films on drugs, alcoholism, and AIDS, which are problems now plaguing Ukraine, and students are challenged to choose God's way in life through faith in Christ.
Invitations for outreaches and training are coming in from pastors all over Ukraine. Fruit is coming into the Church. Anatoly is a member of the OAC Ukraine Board of Trustees and is also overseen by the OAC - Overseas Ministries. Because the words “Open Air Campaigners” cannot be translated into the language, OAC is known and registered as "Worldwide Proclamation" in Ukraine.
Anatoly’s ministry has changed temporarily due to the war with Russia. Often he is called to the frontline to be with the soldiers. He is finding hearts open to the gospel because they are facing death. Many gladly receive New Testaments and are being counseled. Anatoly and Yulia are having a vital ministry to the widows and orphans.
